Friday, June 4, 2010

Pitches, pitches

The translation gig has been quiet for the last few weeks, so I have been busy with other writing projects, but not my blogging obviously. I have now finished three works of fiction: 2 short stories and 1 novel.

Short stories:
"Xenovet"
Dr. Van is a semi-depressed, space-station based veterinarian who treats the companion alien animals that residents keep as pets. But a series of visions he has while treating his alien patients leads him on a search for the dark truth behind where the creatures came from.

"The Polar Ace"
A mysterious paleontological dig in Greenland, a ship plagued by a sinister shipment of cargo, and a desperate dude looking to pay off his debts with a Central Asian criminal consortium all come together in a futuristic action-packed romp through two oceans and multiple time zones.

Novel:
"The Sky Stone of Tombouctou"
Waverly Yancy is almost a typical 13-year-old. He loves computer games, his parents can be annoying, and he doesn’t quite fit in. He lives in a ritzy suburban Connecticut suburb, but he’s one of the only non-white kids in his school. It doesn’t help that when he encounters a bully on the way home from school, a strange awareness awakens in him.

Then, his discovery of a peculiar amulet in the freezer, clues from his grandmomma about the family’s arcane past, and his parents’ decision to trace the family’s ancestry back to its African roots in the mystery-shrouded land of Timbuktu, all add up to a thrilling adventure of a lifetime for Waverly. But the journey into the heart of Africa is only the beginning...

The Sky Stone of Tombouctou is a completed 75,000-word young adult fantasy novel set in the present day, and is ready for representation.

6 comments:

Susan Moger said...

Ben, These are wonderful teasers for great works! Def try to place the short stories--send me the freighter one!

Yancy is at the top o' my list.
Ted called me into living room and read all three aloud to me and proclaimed all compelling reads. He doesn't "do" comments so I am passing along his enthusiasm.
Proud Mom

Benjamin said...

Thanks mom! (and Ted). I recently had Xenovet critiqued by an online critique group, critters.org. I got about 8 different crits, which were great and quite useful. Most people liked it, but had good suggestions for how to improve. Polar Ace is up next, in a month or so. I'll send it to you as well.

Mary Anne Huntington said...

Would any of these characters be a doppelganger for Bouncy Bear? Good god, man, you are talented.

Benjamin said...

MAH: Of course! Bouncy Bear and the Little White Doggy are all represented somewhere.

Susan Moger said...

Fred Lobster too?

siewgin_alan_tyler_cody said...

How do i get a copy of these? Seriously, how many other talents do you have? It's a little unfair that you have that many and the rest of us have none!!